I know – the holidays are over so the focus is on eating healthy. But there’s something to be said for sweets in moderation especially ones like these brownies made from good-for-you ingredients (ancient grains, dark chocolate and nuts).

Brownies don’t typically contain much flour, so they’re fairly easy to adapt for gluten-free/wheat-free eaters. These brownies are made using whole-grain teff flour that is naturally gluten-free. Teff is a grass native to Ethiopia and is one of the oldest cultivated grains in the world. It’s a rich source of protein, dietary fiber, iron and other minerals. It has a mild nutty flavor making it an ideal flour for these brownies. If it’s not already in your pantry, make sure you look for teff flour for this recipe rather than whole-grain teff which is more commonly for making injera (an Ethiopian flatbread) or porridge. You’ll find teff flour in the natural food section of your grocery store.

Since brownies are all about the chocolate, I recommend a good quality dark (or bittersweet) chocolate such as Guittard. Don’t skip the salt – using coarse sea salt (rather than fine sea salt) intensifies the chocolate flavor. I’ve added hazelnuts (good for your heart and helps reduce the risk of cancer) which pairs well with the rich chocolate. You can substitute walnuts or pecans if you prefer.

The end result is a dense chocolate brownie – one that’s so good you don’t even need to tell anyone is gluten-free.

Note:  If you don’t need to make gluten-free/wheat-free brownies and you can’t wait to find teff flour, you can use the same amount of all-purpose flour in this recipe.

Hazelnut Brownies (Gluten-Free)

 

Hazelnut Brownies (Gluten-Free)
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Recipe type: Dessert
Author:
Serves: 16 brownies
Ingredients
  • 6 ounces dark or bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao), coarsely chopped
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ⅔ cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup teff flour
  • 1 cup chopped hazelnuts
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line an 8x8x2" glass baking dish with foil, pressing firmly into pan and leaving a 2" overhang. Coat foil with nonstick spray; set baking dish aside.
  2. This is a one bowl recipe, so find a medium sized metal bowl that will fit in a medium sized pan.
  3. Bring an inch of water to a bare simmer in a saucepan. Combine chocolate and butter in bowl and rest in the pan without touching the water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from heat. Add sugar, vanilla and sea salt and stir until combined. Let cool about 5 to 7 minutes.
  4. Whisk eggs into chocolate mixture one at a time. Add flour and whisk for 30 seconds to thicken the batter. Stir in hazelnuts. Scrape batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
  5. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes.
  6. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cool completely in pan (about 2 hours).
  7. Using foil overhang, lift brownie out of pan; transfer to a cutting board and cut into 16 squares.
Notes
* Double recipe and bake in a 9x13x2" glass baking dish (yields 32 brownies).
* Freezes well.
* If you don't need to make gluten-free/wheat-free brownies and you can't wait to find teff flour, you can use the same amount of all-purpose flour in this recipe.
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Source:  Variation on recipe from EatingWell, November/December 2018